Whether you’re restocking your home bar or searching for one bottle that truly stands out, this year’s IWSC (International Wine & Spirit Competition) results offer a definitive guide to excellence in spirits. From Scotch stalwarts to rising stars in Asia, the competition’s 2025 trophy winners showcase an extraordinary breadth of craftsmanship and innovation.
Scotch once again led the charge, with standout single malts and blends taking top honours, while the global whiskey scene proved equally dynamic, with Ireland, the US and South Korea all securing trophies. Gin, meanwhile, continued its reign as one of the competition’s most competitive categories, with entries spanning more than 20 countries. Shochu entries achieved their strongest performance yet and categories such as rum, mezcal and liqueurs highlighted the growing diversity shaping today’s spirits landscape. A Singaporean gin and a Japanese shochu were awarded 99 points, demonstrating that excellence in distilling comes from every corner of the globe. One of the highest scoring whiskies, Unicorn Korean Single Malt from Ki One Whisky Distillery, was described by IWSC Judging Committee member Dawn Davies MW as ‘just an absolutely delicious whiskey, it couldn’t do any more.’
Each of these winners first earned a Gold or Gold Outstanding medal in the IWSC’s rigorous blind tastings, scoring 95 points or more. They were then retasted by the competition’s judging committee to determine the Trophy winners – the very best spirits from 2025.
Each bottle represents the pinnacle of its category; a reflection of the creativity, precision and passion driving the global spirits industry forward. Whether it’s a Croatian hazelnut liqueur, a vibrant Blanco Tequila from Mexico, or a timeless Scotch from the Highlands, these are the bottles that captured the IWSC judges’ attention in 2025.
Scroll down to discover the best spirits of 2025 according to the IWSC.
The 21 top spirits of 2025 according to the IWSC
- Top American whiskey: Pinhook, Vertical Series 9 YO Rye Whiskey
- Top Armagnac: Société des Produits d’Armagnac, Marquis de Montesquiou XO Armagnac
- Top blended scotch whisky: John Dewars, Double Double 38 YO Blended Malt Scotch Whisky
- Top bourbon: Frank August, Small Batch Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey
- Top classic gin: Hawkridge Distillers, The Store Gin
- Top Cognac: Hermitage Cognac, 1995 Vintage Cognac
- Top contemporary gin: Four Pillars Distillery, Navy Strength Gin
- Top flavoured gin: Brass Lion Distillery, Pearl Jasmine Gin
- Top fruit & nut spirits: Bimmerle Private Distillery, Goldhauch Haselnuss Spirituose
- Top grape brandy/pisco: Juan Torres Masters Distillers, El Gobernador Reservado Pisco
- Top Irish whiskey: Blackwater Distillery, The Full Irish Blended Whisky
- Top liqueur: Orahovica, Martin Albus Od Ljesnjaka Hazelnut Liqueur
- Top marc/pomace: Savalan – Aspi Winery, Savalan Grappolo
- Top mezcal: Espiritu Montaraz, Ancestral Pechuga Mole Mezcal
- Top rum: Foursquare Rum Distillery, Equidem 14 YO Rum
- Top shochu: Chuko Awamori Distillery Co., Moon Distillery Awamori Shochu
- Top single malt scotch over 20 YO: Chivas Brothers, A’glac Charrann 27 YO Single Malt Scotch Whisky
- Top single malt scotch under 20 YO: Loch Lomond, 18 YO Single Malt Scotch Whisky
- Top tequila: Tanteo Tequila, Blanco Tequila
- Top vodka: Hawkridge Distillers, Sexy Fish Vodka
- Top worldwide whisky: Ki One Whisky Distillery, Unicorn Korean Single Malt Whisky
HOW DO WE JUDGE THESE SPIRITS?
We operate a regimented, rigorous spirits tasting process. That means that each spirit sample is pre-poured into numbered glasses and assessed blindly by the judges. Most importantly, our IWSC spirit judges are experts in their field, who work across all sectors of the drinks industry. For evidence, see our full list of judges.
HOW DO WE SCORE THESE SPIRITS?
Only the best spirits sampled receive a Gold or Silver award. For example, to win Gold, spirits have to score between 95 and 100 points. Meanwhile, Silver winners must have scored 90 to 94 points. Click here to read more on our scoring system.
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The best spirits from the IWSC 2025
